Crimean court to continue to consider ban on Mejlis on March 10

The Supreme Court of the occupied Crimea has postponed the consideration of the case over ban on the Mejlis on suspicion of “extremist activity” to March 10. The court examines the documents submitted by the parties to the trial.

Chairman of the Mejlis Refat Chubarov stated this, the Human Rights Information Center correspondent reports.

“A person, who describes herself as a prosecutor, Poklonskaya, added over 500 pages of additional files which, in her opinion, sustain her claim. Lawyer Nariman Dzelial, Deputy Chairman of Mejlis added his documents to confirm illegitimacy of the trial itself. That is why the court hearing was postponed. The next hearing will be held on March 10,” Refat Chubarov said.

“The Crimean Tatar movement survived even the cruelest days of the Soviet Union. They could ban the organization, but not people. It is not in their power. It is clear that the Crimean Tatar national movement, the members of the local, regional Mejlis will continue their activity,” he said.

Earlier on Thursday, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) stated that the decision to ban the Mejlis may open the way to a massive wave of persecution of the Crimean Tatars for whom the Mejlis is the symbol of struggle against long repression.

Earlier, the NGOs demanded to stop the persecution of Crimean Tatars in Crimea and abandon any attempt to ban the Mejlis.